non-defense mandatory makes up about $17 billion. can you explain the difference? guest: mandatory has to do with entitlement programs that beneficiaries are permitted to receive by law, and discretionary spending is where congress has an annual appropriation and has more flexibility year-to-ear on what to cut and what to raise. host: if the cut happens, let's begin with what is not on the table. what is exempted from sequestration when it comes to discretionary spending? guest: military pay, veterans' benefits, a lot of what would be called social welfare programs, like food stamps, or the snap. a social security, medicare is exempt. there are also federal salaries that cannot be effected. host: there are a lot of cuts that would go through it sequestration happens, but what are some of the big ones that people would notice? guest: in october, a ranking member of the house committee had detailed projections. remember, agencies have been prohibited from acting them out in detail, so a lot of projections come from congress and interest groups. this house appropriati